From this it might be imagined that no notice was taken of the counting value of the cards taken in during the progress of the play. Early in the game this is true, but toward the end each player must keep very careful mental count of the value of his tricks, although he is not allowed to score them. When either player knows, by adding the mental count of his tricks to his scored declarations, that he has made points enough to win the game, he stops the play by knocking on the table, either with his knuckles or his cards. He then turns over his tricks and counts the points they contain to show his adversary that he has won the game. Even if his adversary has also enough points to go out, the player who knocked wins the game, provided his count is correct. If the player who knocks is mistaken, and cannot count out, he loses, no matter what his adversary may have.
If neither knocks, and at the end of the hand both players are found to have points enough to put them out, neither wins the game, which must be continued for 100 points more; that is, as 500 points is the usual game, it must be made 600 in such a case. Should both reach 600 without knocking, it must be continued to 700. If neither knocks, and only one has enough points to go out he wins the game on its merits.
As the name implies, 500 points is game.
PENCHANT.
Penchant is a complicated form of Cinq-cents and Bézique, played with a single pack of thirty-two cards, which rank as at Piquet; A K Q J 10 9 8 7, the ace being highest both in cutting and in play.
Cutting. The higher cut has the choice of seats, and the lower cut deals the first hand.
Dealing. After the cards have been cut by the pone the dealer gives one card to his adversary, then one to the stock, and then one to himself, all face down. Two more are then given to the stock, one to the pone, two to the stock again, and one to the dealer. This is continued, giving two cards to the stock between the ones given to each player, until the last round, when only one card is dealt to the stock. This will result in each player receiving six cards, and twenty being left in the centre of the table for the talon. No trump is turned. Very few players trouble themselves with this method of dealing, preferring to deal three cards to each player alternately, leaving the remaining twenty for the stock.
Playing. All the regulations for leading, following suit, drawing from the talon, etc., are the same as in Bézique, but the declarations and their values are quite different.
Brisques. There are twelve brisque cards, the Seven of each suit being added to the usual Aces and Tens. The brisques are not scored as taken in, except in the last six tricks. At the end of the hand all the brisques are counted, whether already scored in the last six tricks or not, and the player having more than six counts ten points for each above six. If each has six, neither scores. By this method, a player may make and score several brisques in the last six tricks, all of which he will reckon over again in the total count at the end.
Declarations. The winner of any trick, previous to the exhaustion of the stock, may announce and lay upon the table any one of ten different combinations, which are divided into three classes. These are as follows, with the number of points he is entitled to score for each: